National League Central Preview
Capsules
[March 15, 2025]
Milwaukee Brewers
2024: 93-69, first place, lost to Mets in Wild Card Series.
Manager: Pat Murphy (second season).
Opening Day: March 27 at New York Yankees.
He’s Here: LHP Tyler Alexander, RHP Grant Anderson, LHP Nestor
Cortes, INF Caleb Durbin, LHP Jose Quintana.
He’s Outta Here: SS Willy Adames, RHP Devin Williams, LHP Wade Miley,
LHP Hoby Milner, RHP Frankie Montas, RHP Colin Rea, RHP Joe Ross, C
Gary Sánchez.
Top Hitters: C William Contreras (.281, 23 HRs, 92 RBIs, .365 OBP),
OF Christian Yelich (.315, 11, 42, 21 SBs, .406 OBP in 73 games), OF
Jackson Chourio (.275, 21, 79, 22 SBs), 3B/SS Joey Ortiz (.239, 11,
60), OF Garrett Mitchell (.255, 8, 21, 11 SBs in 69 games).
Projected Rotation: RH Freddy Peralta (11-9, 3.68 ERA, 200 Ks in 173
2/3 IP), RH Tobias Myers (9-6, 3.00, 127 Ks in 138 IP), LH Nestor
Cortes (9-10, 3.77, 162 Ks in 174 1/3 IP with Yankees), RH Aaron
Civale (8-9, 4.36, 149 Ks in 161 IP with Rays and Brewers), LH Jose
Quintana (8-9, 3.71, 135 Ks in 170 1/3 IP for Mets), RH Brandon
Woodruff (missed 2024 with shoulder injury; 5-1, 2.28 ERA, 74 Ks in
67 IP in 2023).
Key Relievers: RH Trevor Megill (1-3, 2.72 ERA, 21/24 saves), RH
Joel Payamps (3-7, 3.05, 6 saves, 59 Ks in 59 IP), LH Jared Koenig
(9-4, 2.47, 1 save, 63 Ks in 62 IP), RH Nick Mears (1-5, 5.93, 75 Ks
in 57 2/3 IP with Colorado and Milwaukee), LH Bryan Hudson (6-1,
1.73, 62 Ks in 62 1/3 IP), RH Elvis Peguero (7-4, 2.98, 2 saves, 47
Ks in 51 1/3 IP).
Outlook: The Brewers didn’t add much and lost two of their top
players with two-time NL reliever of the year Williams getting
traded to the Yankees, and Adames signing a seven-year, $182 million
contract with San Francisco. So they’re going to need some of their
young returning players to take a step forward as they chase a third
straight NL Central title. That starts with the 21-year-old Chourio,
who capped a promising rookie season by batting .455 with two homers
in the Wild Card Series loss to the Mets. The Brewers must decide on
a new third baseman if they slide Ortiz over to shortstop to replace
Adames. Brice Turang, a Platinum Glove winner at second base last
year, is the other candidate to take over for Adames at shortstop.
Milwaukee could use a bounce-back season from 1B Rhys Hoskins, who
exercised his $18 million option for this season after batting .214
with a .722 OPS — both career lows — last year. Woodruff, a two-time
All-Star, won’t be ready for the start of the season after missing
2024 with a shoulder injury. The bullpen will have a new closer and
the most likely option is Megill, who filled that role when Williams
missed the first half of last season due to stress fractures in his
back.

___
St. Louis Cardinals
2024: 83-79, tied for second place.
Manager: Oliver Marmol (fourth season).
Opening Day: March 27 vs. Minnesota.
He’s Here: GM-in-waiting Chaim Bloom, INF/OF Michael Helman.
He’s Outta Here: 1B Paul Goldschmidt, RHP Kyle Gibson, RHP Andrew
Kittredge.
Top Hitters: 3B Nolan Arenado (.272, 16 HRs, 71 RBIs), SS Masyn Wynn
(.267, 15, 57), INF/OF Brendan Donovan (.278, 14, 73), DH Alec
Burleson (.269, 21, 78), C/1B Willson Contreras (.262, 15, 36), OF
Lars Nootbaar (.244, 12, 45), C Ivan Herrera (.301, 5, 27).
Projected Rotation: RH Sonny Gray (13-9, 3.84 ERA), RH Andre
Pallante (8-8, 3.78), RH Miles Mikolas (10-11, 5.35), RH Erick Fedde
(2-5, 3.72), RH Michael McGreevy (3-0, 1.96).
Key Relievers: RH Ryan Helsley (7-4, 2.04, MLB-best 49 saves and 62
games finished), LH Matthew Liberatore (3-4, 4.40), LH JoJo Romero
(7-3, 3.36), Steven Matz (1-2, 5.08), Chris Roycroft (1-2, 4.19).
Outlook: The Cardinals are in the midst of what CEO Bill DeWitt Jr.
termed a “period of transition.” Longtime front office executive
John Mozeliak will be replaced after this season by Bloom, a former
Red Sox and Rays executive. Goldschmidt signed with the Yankees,
creating a void at first base. And whether St. Louis would trade
Arenado loomed a question all spring. It is against that background
that the Cardinals will try to bounce back from consecutive years
missing the playoffs, the first time that has happened since the
2017-18 seasons. They did little to upgrade the roster during the
offseason, preferring instead to count on a bevy of young talents to
take another step forward. Wynn was an exciting revelation last
season while Helsley emerged as arguably the best closer in
baseball, so there are reasons for optimism in St. Louis.
___
Chicago Cubs
2024: 83-79, tied for second place.
Manager: Craig Counsell (second season).
Opening Day: March 18 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Japan.
He’s Here: OF Kyle Tucker, RHP Ryan Pressly, LHP Matthew Boyd, INF
Justin Turner, C Carson Kelly, RHP Ryan Brasier, RHP Eli Morgan, INF
Jon Berti, RHP Colin Rea, LHP Caleb Thielbar, INF Vidal Bruján.
He’s Outta Here: OF Cody Bellinger, INF Isaac Paredes, RHP Kyle
Hendricks, OF Mike Tauchman, INF Patrick Wisdom, RHP Adbert Alzolay.
Top Hitters: RF Kyle Tucker (.289, 23 HRs, 49 RBIs in 78 games with
Houston Astros), DH Seiya Suzuki (.283, 21, 73, 16 SBs), LF Ian Happ
(.243, 25, 86), 1B Michael Busch (.248, 21, 65), SS Dansby Swanson
(.242, 16, 66, 19 SBs), 2B Nico Hoerner (.273, 7, 48, 31 SBs).
Projected Rotation: LH Shota Imanaga (15-3, 2.91 ERA, 174 Ks in 173
1/3 IP), LH Justin Steele (5-5, 3.07, 135 Ks in 134 2/3 IP), RH
Jameson Taillon (12-8, 3.27), LH Matthew Boyd (2-2, 2.72 in 8 starts
with Cleveland Guardians), RH Colin Rea (12-6, 4.29 in 32 games (27
starts) with Milwaukee Brewers).
Key Relievers: RH Ryan Pressly (2-3, 3.49, 4 saves with Houston
Astros), RH Porter Hodge (3-1, 1.88, 9 saves), RH Ryan Brasier (1-0,
3.54 in 29 games with Los Angeles Dodgers), RH Eli Morgan (3-0, 1.93
in 32 games with Cleveland Guardians), RH Nate Pearson (2-2, 4.48 in
60 appearances for Toronto Blue Jays and Cubs), RH Julian
Merryweather (1-1, 6.60), LH Caleb Thielbar (2-4, 5.32 in 59 games
with Minnesota Twins).
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St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado flies out during the second
inning of a spring training baseball game against the Washington
Nationals Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Jupiter, Fla. (AP Photo/Jeff
Roberson)

Outlook: Playoffs, or quite possibly a massive
makeover. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is going into
the last year of his contract. Kyle Tucker, who was acquired in a
December trade with Houston, also is eligible for free agency after
this season. The Cubs haven’t reached the postseason since 2020 and
haven’t won a playoff game since 2017. But they are much improved
compared to the end of last year. The addition of Tucker puts a
dynamic presence in the middle of the lineup, and Pressly should
help anchor a refurbished bullpen. Swanson and Hoerner form one of
baseball’s best double-play combinations, but Swanson is coming off
core surgery and Hoerner is working his way back from an operation
on his right forearm. A healthy Hoerner could be used to spell
Swanson at shortstop, but his flexor tendon injury affected his
throwing last year. One big key for the Cubs is the play of young
center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and infielder Matt Shaw.
Crow-Armstrong could put together a breakout season after showing
signs of growth last year. The 23-year-old Shaw, a first-round pick
in the 2023 amateur draft, is poised to take over at third base
after Paredes was traded to Houston in the Tucker deal.
___
Cincinnati Reds
2024: 77-85, fourth place.
Manager: Terry Francona (first season).
Opening Day: March 27 vs. San Francisco.
He’s Here: RHP Brady Singer, LHP Taylor Rogers, OF Austin Hays, IF
Gavin Lux, C Jose Trevino.
He’s Outta Here: 2B Jonathan India, LF Joey Weimer, RHP Fernando
Cruz, LHP Jakob Junis, RHP Buck Farmer, SS/RF Amed Rosario
Top Hitters: SS Elly De La Cruz (.259, 25 HRs, 76 RBIs, 69 SBs, .810
OPS), CF TJ Friedl (.226, 13, 55), 1B Spencer Steer (.225, 20, 92,
25 SBs), C Tyler Stephenson (.258, 19, 66), IF Gavin Lux (.251, 10,
50 with Los Angeles Dodgers).
Projected Rotation: RH Hunter Greene (9-5, 2.75 ERA, 10.1 Ks/9 IP),
RH Nick Martinez (10-7, 3.10), LH Nick Lodolo (9-6, 4.76), RH Brady
Singer (9-13, 3.71 ERA, 8.5 Ks/9 IP with Kansas City), LH Andrew
Abbott (10-10, 3.72).
Key Relievers: RH Alexis Díaz (2-5, 3.99, 28/32 saves), RH Emilio
Pagán (4-5, 4.50), RH Scott Barlow (3-3, 4.25 with Cleveland), LH
Taylor Rogers (1-4, 2.40 with San Francisco).
Outlook: After taking a year off, Francona inherits a situation
similar to the one he inherited in Cleveland in 2013 — a young,
talented club that is on the verge of taking the next step. De La
Cruz goes into his third year in the majors after leading the NL in
stolen bases last season while most of the starting rotation has
been home grown. The Reds were aggressive during the offseason
though, trading for Singer, Lux and Rogers. They will also look for
a bounce-back year from infielder Matt McLain, who missed last
season after batting .290 as a rookie in 2023.
___
Pittsburgh Pirates
2024: 76-86, fifth place.
Manager: Derek Shelton (sixth season).
Opening Day: March 27 at Miami.
He’s Here: OF Tommy Pham, INF/OF Adam Frazier, LHP Andrew Heaney,
LHP Tim Mayza, 1B Spencer Horwitz.
He’s Outta Here: C Yasmani Grandal, OF Bryan De La Cruz, 1B Connor
Joe, LHP Aroldis Chapman, LHP Marco Gonzales.

Top Hitters: RF Bryan Reynolds (.275, 24 HRs, 88 RBIs), DH Andrew
McCutchen (.232, 24, 50), SS Oneil Cruz (.259, 21, 76, 22 SBs), C
Joey Bart (.265, 13, 45), INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa (.240, 1, 10),
Spencer Horwitz (.265, 12, 40 with Toronto).
Projected Rotation: RH Paul Skenes (11-3, 1.96 ERA, 170 Ks in 133
IP), RH Mitch Keller (11-12, 4.25, 166 Ks in 178 IP), RH Jared Jones
(6-8, 4.14, 132 Ks in 121 1/3 IP), LH Bailey Falter (8-9, 4.43, 97
Ks in 142 1/3 IP), LH Andrew Heaney (5-14, 4.28 ERA with Texas).
Key Relievers: RH David Bednar (3-8, 5.77 ERA, 23 saves), RH Colin
Holderman (3-6, 3.16 ERA in 55 appearances), RH Kyle Nicolas (2-2,
3.95 ERA in 51 games), LH Tim Mayza (0-2, 6.33 ERA with Toronto and
the New York Yankees), RH Carmen Mlodzinski (5-5, 3.38 ERA).
Outlook: The Pirates have one of the most electric players in
baseball in Skenes, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year.
The top overall pick in the 2023 draft was even better than
advertised while finishing third in Cy Young voting. After being on
an innings limit last season, expect Skenes to be relatively
untethered in 2025 and serve as the anchor of a staff that should be
the strength of a team that didn’t so much in free agency to add to
an offense that was among the worst in the majors last season. Cruz
moved from shortstop to center field late last season, and the
Pirates need him to get comfortable because they need his bat in the
lineup and his speed on the bases. Reynolds will slide to right to
make room, with Pham in left. 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes and C/OF Henry Davis
are both coming back from injuries. Pittsburgh’s best-case scenario
is Skenes stays healthy and the pitching staff keeps the Pirates in
contention in what could be a wide-open NL Central.
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